Rolls Royce great for carrying king, traveling the Ozarks

Feb. 13, 2011

Leonard Horwich sits at the wheel of his prized 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II. Horwich enjoyed driving his car on numerous trips and daily errands, even though many people might consider the vehicle a museum piece or work of art. The car's current location is unknown.

A photograph made in the mid-1930s, of the car Leonard Horwich would later own, on a Royal Air Force airfield somewhere in England. King George V is seated in the back seat. And second in a line of men standing beside the car is his son Edward. / photo courtesy of Leonard Horwich

Bob Linder

Bob Linder is an Ozarks native and longtime photojournalist for the News-Leader. blinder@news-leader.com 417-836-1182

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A recent viewing of the excellent film "The King's Speech" struck a chord with me on several levels. It was an enjoyable film and certainly deserves the recognition it has received.

I don't think I'm giving away much when I say that the plot hinges around the death of England's King George V, the abdication of his heir, Edward VIII, and the coronation of George VI, with the backdrop of the beginning of World War II. It was a pivotal time for the British monarchy when events and modern technology, in this case radio, had a major impact on the spirit of a people worldwide.

Those who are familiar with me outside of the news business know a grim truth: I am a hopeless motorhead. I've been fascinated with autos most of my life. In particular, I like British cars of about any vintage.

Through cars I have met all manner of interesting people, not the least of which was the late Leonard Horwich.

There is not enough space on this page to do Leonard's life and interests justice. In a nutshell, Leonard was a Chicago native, art collector and auto enthusiast who late in life became a rancher near Marshfield. Besides owning a home filled with numerous original art pieces by the likes of Alexander Calder (a personal friend) and others, Leonard's prize possession was a stunning 1933 Rolls Royce Phantom II.

It was a big, long, open car. It was light green in color and for its size amazingly powerful. Leonard was not a closet owner. He drove it. Around town, the state or a trip west in the mountain states, Leonard enjoyed everything there was about his Phantom.

When he learned it had been a Royal Carriage, a car used by the British royal family, he inquired of the London photography studio that catered to the royal family in that era. And sure enough, there it was -- a photo of Leonard's car on an RAF bomber field, King George V in the back seat. And second in a line of men standing beside the car is his son Edward, who would abdicate the throne to marry American Wallis Simpson.

I had a couple of opportunities to ride in the car. One interesting trip was to a car show in Kansas City.

One thing you need when you have a right-hand steering car is a spotter on the left side to tell you when it's clear to pass in traffic. And pass we did. The Rolls drove like a million bucks. It sounded like a million bucks. And it had a presence that was different from any other car of that era that I've been around. When you sat in the back seat you felt like a king -- and you didn't even have to give a speech.

I was always proud of the way Leonard drove and enjoyed what most of us would consider a museum piece or a work of art. It said a lot about living for the present. Only a few years later Leonard would pass away. I don't know where the Phantom is today or who owns it, but I know no one could ever get more enjoyment from it than Leonard.